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A review by jdeets03
Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West
4.0
3.5/5 stars - rounded up because the essays I loved, I REALLY loved.
Lindy West is one of my favorites. Her essays are full of heart, humor, and a big ole dose of feminism. In Shit, Actually, West revisits a bunch of popular movies and offers humorous recaps that include pointing out all of the problematic bits including Love, Actually, American Pie, the Notebook, Speed, and Twilight. Confession: I have never watched the Notebook, and after reading West's essay, I don't feel like I need to and also that movie sounds WILD. Ultimately, every movie is rated on a scale of 10 DVDs of The Fugitive, which West has declared the greatest movie of all time.
The first few essays in this collection captured me immediately. I was laughing out loud and couldn't wait to see what movie came next. I did start to feel tired by the end and sometimes her plot recaps felt too long. I am glad she ended with the American Pie essay, which is pure gold. While on the surface level, it appears to be a silly series of essays, West still reminds the reader often that we are in the middle of a pandemic, Trump is still our President, racism exists, and many of the characters and plots of these movies are relevant to American "quote" values (e.g., Maverick in Top Gun taught us to "believe not just that safety is for dweebs but that it's EVIL!"). Shit, Actually serves as both a form of escapism AND a commentary on current events.
West and I are about the same age and experienced many of these movies for the first time at the same time. I, however, now know why I have felt zero urge to rewatch them all these years later. And thanks to West, I still don't feel like I need to revisit them.
If you're into this collection of essays, I highly recommend the podcast "Still Legit." They also rewatch old favorites to point out all of the problematic bits and determine if the movie is "still legit."
Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette Books for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lindy West is one of my favorites. Her essays are full of heart, humor, and a big ole dose of feminism. In Shit, Actually, West revisits a bunch of popular movies and offers humorous recaps that include pointing out all of the problematic bits including Love, Actually, American Pie, the Notebook, Speed, and Twilight. Confession: I have never watched the Notebook, and after reading West's essay, I don't feel like I need to and also that movie sounds WILD. Ultimately, every movie is rated on a scale of 10 DVDs of The Fugitive, which West has declared the greatest movie of all time.
The first few essays in this collection captured me immediately. I was laughing out loud and couldn't wait to see what movie came next. I did start to feel tired by the end and sometimes her plot recaps felt too long. I am glad she ended with the American Pie essay, which is pure gold. While on the surface level, it appears to be a silly series of essays, West still reminds the reader often that we are in the middle of a pandemic, Trump is still our President, racism exists, and many of the characters and plots of these movies are relevant to American "quote" values (e.g., Maverick in Top Gun taught us to "believe not just that safety is for dweebs but that it's EVIL!"). Shit, Actually serves as both a form of escapism AND a commentary on current events.
West and I are about the same age and experienced many of these movies for the first time at the same time. I, however, now know why I have felt zero urge to rewatch them all these years later. And thanks to West, I still don't feel like I need to revisit them.
If you're into this collection of essays, I highly recommend the podcast "Still Legit." They also rewatch old favorites to point out all of the problematic bits and determine if the movie is "still legit."
Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette Books for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.